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AB-6 Pupils: age of admission.(2003-2004)

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2003–2004 5th Ext.

Assembly Bill
No. 6

Introduced  by  Assembly Member Runner

December 01, 2003

An act to amend Sections 48000 and 48010 of the Education Code, relating to pupil admission.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 6, as introduced, Runner. Pupils: age of admission.
Existing law requires that a child be admitted to a kindergarten at the beginning of a school year, or at any time later in the same year, if the child will have his or her 5th birthday on or before December 2 of that school year. Existing law requires that a child be admitted to the 1st grade of an elementary school during the first month of a school year if the child will have his or her 6th birthday on or before December 2 of that school year.
This bill would instead require that a child be admitted to a kindergarten at the beginning of a school year, or at any time later in the same year, if the child will have his or her 5th birthday on or before September 1 of that school year. The bill would also require that a child be admitted to the 1st grade of an elementary school during the first month of a school year if the child will have his or her 6th birthday on or before September 1 of that school year.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that certain savings realized as a result of the bill be appropriated to fund specified child care and development programs.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares the following:
(1) By changing the age at which children generally enter kindergarten, California’s children will be better prepared to enter into the academic environment that is required by the kindergarten curriculum.
(2) The change described in subdivision (a) will result in a decrease in the number of pupils enrolled in kindergarten and that decreased enrollment will affect the class size in each subsequent grade level through and including the 2015–16 school year. It is estimated that there will be a 25 percent decrease in the enrollment of kindergarten classes that will affect the subsequent grade levels over the 13-year period.
(3) The decrease in enrollment described in paragraph (2) will necessarily decrease the number of units of average daily attendance that a school district may claim for the purpose of computing the amount of state revenue limit aid a school district may receive, thereby allowing the state to realize significant cost-savings during the current budgetary crisis.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that any savings realized as a result of this act, of funds that would have counted towards meeting the minimum funding obligation under Section 8 of Article 16 of the California Constitution (Proposition 98), be appropriated to fund child care and development programs operated pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8200) of Part 6 of the Education Code that serve children who do not meet the minimum age requirement for kindergarten admission and that qualify for funding under Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2003 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301).

SEC. 2.

 Section 48000 of the Education Code is amended to read:

48000.
 (a) (1) A child shall be admitted to a kindergarten at the beginning of a school year, or at any later time in the same year if the child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before December 2 September 1 of that school year.
(2) A child who will have his or her fifth birthday on or before December 2 September 1 may be admitted to the prekindergarten summer program maintained by the school district for pupils who will be enrolling in kindergarten in September.
(b) The governing board of any school district maintaining one or more kindergartens may, on a case-by-case basis, admit to a kindergarten a child having attained the age of five years at any time during the school year with the approval of the parent or guardian, subject to the following conditions:
(1) The governing board determines that the admittance is in the best interests of the child.
(2) The parent or guardian is given information regarding the advantages and disadvantages and any other explanatory information about the effect of this early admittance.

SEC. 3.

 Section 48010 of the Education Code is amended to read:

48010.
 A child shall be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school during the first month of a school year if the child will have his or her sixth birthday on or before December 2nd September 1 of that school year. For good cause, the governing board of a school district may permit a child of proper age to be admitted to a class after the first school month of the school term.